FY22 Utah State University Libraries Annual Report

A MESSAGE FROM DEAN OF LIBRARIES, JENNIFER DUNCAN

I am delighted to share with the Utah State University community the University Libraries’ first published annual report, covering 2021-2022. In these pages you will learn about our organization’s commitment to supporting student success, propelling original research and creative works, engaging with our local communities, and building the Aggie community—all with the underlying goal of contributing to the growth and development of knowledge. Supporting the pillars of the USU Aggie Action 2028 Strategic Plan, the Libraries are an essential partner in empowering our communities.

The University Libraries support excellence in teaching and learning across the USU statewide system, working with faculty to integrate innovative educational opportunities into the academic curriculum, thereby enhancing critical thinking and information literacy skills. Whether through our work directly with faculty to design courseintegrated instruction, our support for providing student course materials through programs such as Open Educational Resources, or providing unique undergraduate internship opportunities, our librarians are focused on promoting the learning experience for all USU students.

CULTURE RESEARCH

We strengthen USU’s status as an R1 institution by providing access to collections and support services necessary to drive impactful research and creative excellence. Building and describing the research collections required by our faculty is only one aspect of this work. We also provide support to student and faculty researchers through workshops, programming, and mentoring in areas such as data management, scholarly publishing, and exhibition creation. Additionally, our own faculty conduct research in the science of information and build and promote exhibitions through the creative use of primary source humanities research.

LEARNING OUTREACH

The Libraries support our local communities and contribute to the betterment of the world around us. We actively reach out to K-12 educators to support their curriculum, host public lectures and programming on relevant contemporary topics, and participate in the international Fulbright program to support international educational exchange.

The University Libraries contribute to a welcoming and inclusive campus culture that creates lifelong learners and a strong, thriving community. Through outreach to our incoming first-year class, ongoing programming such as our popular “Paws and Breathe” therapy dogs, or seeking feedback to ensure we are responsive to building welcoming spaces and supportive services for our community, we are always striving to contribute to a caring community for all Aggies.

I would particularly like to acknowledge the generous donors who contribute to the success of our programmatic initiatives. On behalf of the faculty and staff of the Utah State University Libraries, I thank you for your interest in and support of our work. I invite everyone to learn more about what we are doing to provide innovative and supportive library services to our community.

The library is so much more than a building or a collection of materials. At its heart, it is a community space where people come to engage with ideas, to get support for their work, to connect with a community, and hopefully to be uplifted knowing that they are a part of something bigger and more meaningful than themselves.

Dean of Libraries

DELIVERING AN EXCEPTIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE

The University Libraries supports excellence in teaching and learning across the USU curriculum.

LIBRARIANS SUPPORTING EDUCATION INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

The USU Libraries’ Instruction Program supports information literacy needs across USU campuses. Instructors of all disciplines have the opportunity to collaborate with librarians to provide subjectspecific research instruction in courses.

Librarians empower students to become responsible consumers, evaluators, and creators of information. In doing so, students are better equipped to critically evaluate and use information to succeed academically and to become lifelong learners. Library instruction is available in multiple formats and helps students feel comfortable with the Library by introducing them to the physical space and virtual services.

4, 380 English composition students reached

522 classes and workshops taught by librarians in 2021-22

1,96 6

16 ,888 students reached through instruction and workshops

We work with teaching faculty to integrate innovative educational opportunities into the academic curriculum, enhancing critical thinking and information literacy skills.

RESEARCH ASSISTANCE

Individual research support is available to all USU students through individual or group consultations. Students can schedule an in-person or virtual consultation with their subject librarian for guidance on their research assignments and theses or dissertations. Meeting with librarians enhances student academic success and often leads to improved outcomes on assignments.

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS & ARCHIVES

Our Special Collections & Archives promotes active learning with primary sources, encouraging students to find and think critically about the rare and unique material found in our repository. Our curators help students develop their own interpretations of the historical record through internship opportunities, course integrated instruction, and both face-toface and virtual reference services. In 2021-22, archivists spent 408 hours teaching USU and Logan communities about Special Collections.

Makenzie Boatright

In her role as a Library Peer Mentor (an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow position at the Libraries—also known as an LPM), Makenzie Boatright contributed to the re-envisioning of library outreach efforts for undergraduate students. Drawing on her skills as a Public Relations/ Journalism major, Makenzie wrote articles about library services and resources that were shared with over 30,000 parents of USU students. Providing a student voice to communicate the value of the library, Makenzie successfully reached more readers than any library articles previously published.

In February 2022, Makenzie represented USU Libraries at the national Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience in Orlando, where she presented alongside librarians Pamela Martin and Katie Strand to share findings from their research

USU LIBRARIES

UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING FELLOW OF THE YEAR, 2022

on first-year students and their engagement with our library. Entitled “Engaging ≠ Engagement: Assessing Students’ Behaviors Following Gamified Orientation,” the presentation explored ways to better orient USU Connections students to the library as well as examined broader first-year student anxieties about the transition to college life.

Makenzie’s work amplified her fellow students’ voices and demonstrated a commitment to student belonging that resulted in significant improvements to USU Libraries’ outreach programs.

ASSIGNMENT DESIGN WORKSHOPS FOR FACULTY

Since the launch of the Libraries’ Assignment Design Workshop program in 2016, over 140 instructors have participated in librarian-facilitated workshops to improve their curricular research assignments. Driven by the overarching goal of creating more engaging and innovative ways for students to learn research skills, the workshops bring together interdisciplinary groups of instructors. These events foster both the faculty-librarian collaborations that

are linked to greater student success as well as faculty-faculty dialogues about teaching, filling a gap in teaching development programming at USU.

Over 700 students benefited from assignments revised in our first workshop alone. During the pivot to remote teaching and learning during the covid-19 pandemic, the Library held virtual programs—one for teaching faculty adapting assignments for online/hybrid learning, and one for graduate student instructors later that year. The program has drawn interest from librarians at other institutions as a sustainable method of faculty development.

DEPARTMENTS REPRESENTED AT THE 2021 WORKSHOP:

Ryan Bushman

USU College of Science undergraduate student

Ryan Bushman worked directly with the Library’s Assessment Librarian, Lindsay Ozburn, to provide a statistical lens on library evaluations. In 2019 and 2021, Ryan helped implement two campus-wide Ithaka S+R surveys to USU’s faculty and graduate student populations. His integral work analyzing, visualizing, and cleaning survey data led to significant insights that informed decision making at the highest level in our Library. Those insights led to improvements to Library resources, services, spaces, and technology that directly benefited the campus population. Additionally, Ryan provided research design and instruction on several highlevel library evaluations.

Ryan gained invaluable professional experience with his degree that prepared him to enter the USU graduate program in Math and Statistics in Fall 2022 and will no doubt continue to bolster his depth of knowledge in preparation for his future career.

In partnership with the University Archivist and the libraries’ Digital Initiatives Unit, graduate student fellow Tameron Williams from the Department of History developed the Utah State University covid-19 Oral History Collection, consisting of audio recordings and written transcriptions of 104 USU faculty, students, and staff members. Williams conducted interviews with a wide spectrum of participants from the president of the university to student workers, and each oral history offers insight into how Utah State University responded to the covid-19 pandemic as an institution. Williams’ work on this collection led to his successfully securing a position as a research assistant, working with Dr. Rebecca Andersen’s public history class.

“Working on this project has given me empirical, hands-on experience as a public historian and researcher that I hope to continue using for the rest of my career,” Williams said.

The digital collection is made accessible through USU’s Institutional Repository and was funded by President Noelle Cockett.

BS in Mathematics and Statistics (‘22)

MA in History (‘22)

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES PROMOTE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO COURSE MATERIALS

The Library supports the creation of low and no-cost course materials to make education more accessible to all. Open Educational Resources (OER) are openly-licensed educational materials that can be used for teaching, learning, research and other purposes.

According to a USU study, 74% of USU students purchase their own textbooks. OER works to alleviate some of this financial burden on students. In 2022 our OER team worked directly with 45 USU faculty from 22 academic departments to create open course material.

$754,650

THE 9,508 USU STUDENTS WHO USED OER IN 2022 SAVED APPROXIMATELY

Each dot on this board, filled out by students during 2022’s OER Week events, tells how much a student spent on textbooks that semester. The bottom displays how many students opted out of a course or did not purchase all required course materials due to expense.

Stephanie Western

Stephanie Western joined the OER team at USU in 2021 as the OER Program Manager. Western has expanded the OER grant program, issuing a statewide call in 2022 for faculty who wish to adopt, adapt, or create OER. As a result, the library is supporting 16 new OER grant projects from 7 colleges, which will save students over $80,000 each year.

The OER team also offers faculty assistance with Pressbooks, a robust e-publishing platform which became available in Fall 2021 through the Utah Education Network.

COURSE RESERVES

Course Reserves gives students short-term access to textbooks, DVDs, and other course materials made available by their instructor. The recent move of Course Reserves to a more accessible and highly-trafficked area in the Merrill-Cazier Library facilitated easier access to no-cost course materials.

LAST YEAR THE LIBRARY SUPPORTED 167 COURSES THROUGH COURSE RESERVES

WITH FACILITIES IN PRICE AND BLANDING AND ROBUST ELECTRONIC

The Libraries’ Statewide faculty and staff ensure that if there is a USU student anywhere, they will have the same access to essential materials and resources as is available to students on the Logan campus.

Via their support of Statewide’s technical education programs, along with helping students persist toward graduation through academic support programs, the Libraries are a critical part of helping students complete their coursework.

Additionally, Statewide library faculty conduct online instruction and research consultations on a regular basis while physical materials are available to students throughout the state via interlibrary loan services.

In Spring 2022, Michael W. Harris began work at USU Eastern in Price as the USU Libraries’ first Outreach and Statewide Services Librarian with the goal to increase awareness of library instruction sessions, research consultations, and the myriad of online and remote resources available to all USU students.

Harris’s work to establish and maintain a library presence in USU’s Statewide communities, both at residential campuses as in Price and Blanding, or at larger regional centers like Moab or Uintah Basin—is invaluable to student success.

Michael Harris

SERVICES, THE LIBRARIES ARE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL PATRONS REGARDLESS OF THEIR PHYSICAL LOCATION

“MY FIRST AND LAST JOB IS TO CONNECT WITH OUR STUDENTS WHEREVER THEY ARE.”

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY EASTERN: LIBRARY & LEARNING COMMONS IN PRICE

Big changes are happening at the Library & Learning Commons (LLC) in Price. The LLC, designed as a common campus space for selfdirected learning, student collaboration, and research innovation routinely improves its resources and services to help users succeed. This year Price added more equipment to the Production Center, including a second 3D Printer, large format lamination machine, and a vinyl press for making t-shirts and printing on fabric.

The LLC also now has the “Book Nook” —a lounge with graphic novels, popular reading, and new books. Ready reference, periodicals, and a vast collection of other print and electronic resources are also available for research and teaching needs. From the Production Center or Special Collections & Archives to Reflection and Study Rooms, the LLC offers an assortment of resources for all needs.

IN 2022, 25,812 PEOPLE VISITED THE PRICE LIBRARY & LEARNING COMMONS

DOES THE LIBRARY INFLUENCE STUDENT SUCCESS?

Student success can be defined in various ways but one key metric is progress toward graduation, which we can measure through student persistence. Research demonstrates that libraries are designed to support student persistence as a central location for knowledge, academic growth, and exploration through library-curated resources and librariansupported services. Measuring the impact of library resources and services ensures we continue to play a beneficial role in a students’ progression toward graduation.

Since 2018, the Utah State University (USU) Libraries have coordinated with USU’s Center for Student Analytics (CSA) to identify how the Libraries impact student persistence and retention as they relate to library resources and services. Recent insights showed that students who used library services during a pre-COVID semester experienced a significant increase in persistence to the next term. The estimated persistence was equivalent to

WHAT’S THE ‘TEA’ ON LIBRARY IT?

Did you know the Libraries have a dedicated Information Technology (LIT) unit, which has been a vital partner to Campus IT? LIT provides essential internal technological support critical for our day-to-day operations. From managing servers that house our digital exhibits to troubleshooting our high-speed scanners, LIT configures our library catalog and much more.

Additionally, LIT plays a crucial role in software development, assisting the library’s digital preservation efforts, and its support has enabled the BARN—our high-density book storage and retrieval network—to run continuously for 18+ years.

LIBRARIES ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT STUDENT PERSISTENCE AS A CENTRAL LOCATION FOR KNOWLEDGE, ACADEMIC GROWTH, AND EXPLORATION

retaining 69 students, or an estimated $606,545.88 in retained tuition per year.

Students who utilized electronic resources during the covid-19 pandemic experienced an incredibly significant increase in persistence. With support from library resources, there were an estimated 173 students retained between March 2019, and August 2021, or approximately $822,350.31 in retained tuition during a difficult period in student enrollment.

In particular, the analysis shows that using library resources has the greatest impact on: (1) students identified as those who may take longer to graduate; (2) new USU students; (3) Statewide campus students; (4) transfer students; (5) and readmitted students.

Whether you’re exploring your vacation bucket list in our Virtual Reality Room or recording a podcast in our One Button Studio, LIT is always available to help solve any tech problems, ensuring that your experience is seamless. At our Library, LIT’s support allows us to provide our patrons with the best possible services and experiences.

IN 2021-22, LIT RESOLVED OVER 1,100 SUPPORT TICKETS AND ENSURED THAT 708 LIBRARY DEVICES WERE KEPT UPDATED AND SECURE

VIRTUAL REALITY

The Merrill-Cazier Library’s Virtual Reality Lab is used by students, staff, and faculty to experiment with VR as a tool for teaching, learning, and hands-on design. For example, virtual reality can be used to test and iterate a design concept, or experience things like data visualizations or locations around the world in three dimensions.

The VR Lab uses an HTC Vive Virtual Reality System headset and controllers. It is located in room 113 and can be reserved online for use during normal library hours. Space and equipment are sponsored by Academic and Instructional Services, IT Computer Labs, and the Library Information Technology team.

ONE BUTTON STUDIO

Located in room 108, the One Button Studio is a simplified video recording setup that can be used without any previous video production experience, making it easy to record high quality lectures, presentations, and even training videos.

ZOOM ROOMS

During the covid-19 pandemic, access to hybrid rooms with remote capability became essential and continues to be a valuable resource in modern campus spaces. This year, high quality remote technology was installed in the Merrill-Cazier Library’s study rooms which are available for reservation and use by USU students.

DRIVING IMPACTFUL RESEARCH AND CREATIVE EXCELLENCE

The Libraries strengthen USU’s status as an R1 institution by providing access to collections and support services necessary to drive impactful research and creative excellence.

WHAT MAKES OUR COLLECTIONS ‘FINDABLE’?

Libraries are well known for their rows and rows of books. However, at USU Libraries our electronic collections are vastly larger than our physical collections, helping serve students, faculty, and staff across the state by providing immediate access to research, teaching, and learning materials.

USU Libraries also has a robust interlibrary loan program that connects with other libraries around the world to deliver books and articles that we don’t own—and share ours in return. Sharing collections between libraries expands the resources available to the USU community.

2 million + books and physical items housed in the library

4 million + ar ticles and electronic resources available

122, 000 + times that print books and eBooks were used by researchers

847,000 + full-text ar ticles downloaded by researchers

With millions of information resources at hand, making materials easy to find is a complex job. Our library staff devote their time to investigating the best possible search environments for users. For instance, we research undergraduate students’ internet search strategies—often influenced by Google-like search tools and social media— to inform the strategies libraries use to make information resources discoverable.

Results of this research have helped us understand how to better describe items in our collections and how to better leverage the power of algorithms used in search tools. For some resources, like our unique Special Collections & Archives material, this has improved findability by an average of 6,100%.

7,000 +

6,000 + ar ticles and books from our USU collections shared with partner libraries around the world

370,000 + catalog records accessed each year

Paul Daybell Bianca Biessinger

As the Archival Cataloging Librarian, Paul Daybell has focused on creating discoverable online finding aids for the library’s unique archival collections. This year, Paul has put a special emphasis on the creation of finding aids for the 2,700 collections in the University Archives. Previously there were only 53 collections findable online. Through Paul’s work there are now over 1,200. As a result of his work, online patron engagement with University Archives collections has increased 415% in the last year, making these important collections readily accessible to stakeholders for the first time.

Paul has also been a lead contributor to research regarding discoverability of archival finding aids. Through this research, USU Libraries’ Cataloging staff demonstrated that more robust description of archival collections can lead to increased user discoverability by over 6,100%. This research has helped Paul improve his archival description work to better optimize our research interface.

As the Borrowing Assistant for Resource Sharing, Bianca Biessinger locates and borrows from other libraries—sometimes working internationally—to secure materials such as books, scores, CDs, and DVDs, and obtain electronic scans of articles, book chapters, conference proceedings and other materials USU Libraries is not able to immediately provide. These items are requested by USU patrons and allow the Libraries to help support research needs. In the last year, Bianca attended to 11,000 requests, borrowing over 3,500 physical materials and obtaining over 7,500 digital reproductions.

During the covid-19 pandemic, Bianca spearheaded an effort to mail library books to isolated patrons, in addition to continuing to provide scans of materials. Over four months, Resource Sharing went from mailing roughly 40 books per month to over 200 a month, equaling around 712 packages.

THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENT RESEARCH AND CREATIVE WORKS AS WELL AS THEIR DISSEMINATION

STUDENT RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM (SRS)

The Student Research Symposium is USU’s largest showcase of student research. In collaboration with the Office of Research, the Libraries hosts this event in the atrium every Spring, giving students an opportunity to present their research to the public.

The two-day event provides space and time for more than 300 graduate and undergraduate presenters to share their research with peers, faculty, evaluators, and the campus community. The most highly-rated presenters in each broad disciplinary category are recognized in various digital formats after the symposium.

GRAD STUDENT OUTREACH

USU students collaborate with faculty and fellow students in research and creative projects. Our nationally-recognized programs empower students to advance their skills, enhance their critical thinking, and realize their potential.

One example of partnership on innovative graduate student programming is the panel discussion series, “Intersections on Inclusion: Critical Conversations about the Academy.” First co-organized in Fall 2020 by librarian Rachel Wishkoski in collaboration with USU’s Center for Intersectional Gender Studies & Research, the series is designed to encourage reflection, communitybuilding, and dialogue—particularly among graduate students and early-career faculty—about challenging inequities in scholarly practice.

2022 events in the series included: “Graduate Student Voices,” “Pride in the Field,” and “Working at the Intersections: Critical Race Scholarship and Pedagogy Today.” These events drew 107 attendees, and their recordings are archived and available along with resources for further learning on the Libraries’ website.

For her capstone project, Caine College of the Arts student Olivia Brock worked to curate both a physical and related digital exhibit using materials from the Libraries’ Special Collections & Archives. “Visions of Science: An Art Historical Exploration of Medieval Scientific Manuscripts” was on display at the Merrill-Cazier Library in Spring 2022.

“Visions of Science” features a collection of books and manuscripts that date from the 13th to the 18th century. Brock examines medieval and renaissance scholars’ use of diagrams and illustrations as a way of understanding and representing the natural world, using rare works such as Albrecht Dürer’s On the Symmetry of the Human Body (1591) or Oronce Fine’s On Solar Clocks and Quadrants (1560).

Opting for more public and creative venues for her capstone in lieu of a traditional research paper, Brock’s exhibition aims to share knowledge by revealing the historical nature of visual communication within science, leading viewers to be more aware of how modern forms of visual communication translate into our experiences today.

CAINE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR AND VALEDICTORIAN

The digital exhibition remains accessible online on the Libraries’ institutional repository exhibition platform that showcases independent student research and digital scholarship. The Libraries’ digitization program provides access and increases accessibility to materials for students, faculty, our local community, and global researchers. The twin exhibitions earned Brock a Joyce Kinkead Outstanding Honors Capstone Award and contributed to her being selected as the Caine College of the Arts Undergraduate Researcher of the Year.

The project grew out of her earlier work on astrolabes. As a Peak Summer Research Fellow, Brock traveled to New York City’s American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to view each institution’s rare collections of astrolabes.

Olivia Brock

BS in Mathematics and Statistics (‘22) BA in Art History (‘22)

OUR INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORY (IR)

The IR offers a wide range of scholarly outputs produced by USU faculty, staff, and students, including theses, dissertations, journals, event recordings, conference proceedings, research data, and open educational resources. Items in the IR have been downloaded over 24.5 million times.

The repository also provides open access to published research articles, fulfilling the university’s public mission and complying with federal

MAXIMIZING THE IMPACT OF USU RESEARCH ON CLIMATE CHANGE

October 2022 saw the return of Open Access (OA) Week to the USU Libraries with an emphasis on climate justice. USU researchers discussed how making their work open access promotes climate justice, as well as how local organizations face challenges in accessing current research vital to tackling the climate crisis

In addition to a lightning talk panel, a roundtable discussion explored topics such as the variety of funding opportunities available for open access scholarship, the advantages and challenges of open scholarship, and the first-hand experiences of USU researchers who have made their work open.

IN 2022, 3,062 WORKS WERE ADDED TO THE IR

funding mandates. By making their work freely available through our repository, faculty and students maximize the impact of their research and contribute to USU’s engagement with global scholarly communities through the broad dissemination of knowledge.

By supporting open access for the institution’s scholarly outputs, the Libraries help increase the impact and reach of research. Open access articles draw more citations, more readers, and more academic social media attention, leading to greater public engagement, faster impact, wider collaboration, and increased interdisciplinary conversation. OA products contribute to the creation of a more informed and connected global community and support the development of practical and sustainable solutions to the world’s challenges.

The above map shows the number of downloads the Libraries’ IR facilitated in FY 22 by country.

SydneyLehenbauer

In 2021, Steven Emile and Mark Lunt, the general manager and owner of Logan’s Island Market, a locally-owned corner grocery store on East Center Street and central part of neighborhood life for both students and residents, approached the USU History Department for help uncovering the store’s 100-year-old past.

History Department lecturer Dr. Rebecca Andersen partnered with the USU Libraries’ Digital Initiatives Unit to build the research inquiry into a cumulative project for her undergraduate public history course. In the 2022 spring semester course, Sydney Lehenbauer was selected to curate and expand the research yielded from the public history course into a digital exhibit pertaining to the history of the Island Market.

From early April until August of 2022, Sydney drew upon the USU Libraries’ Special Collections & Archives, the Cache County Recorder’s Office, open-source digital newspaper repositories, and the memories of Logan residents to uncover a wealth of information about the history of this local treasure. With this research she planned and designed a digital exhibit that showcased the Island Market’s building and ownership history, its place in the Logan Island community, and the economic

and cultural circumstances that have affected the store from the invention of the refrigerator to the covid-19 pandemic.

Community members were given the opportunity to share their own stories about the Island Market via an online submission form. Through this process, Sydney collected over 20 oral histories from local residents, students, and employees. These unique accounts were used to build her final product which also featured historical maps, advertisements, newspaper clippings, and photos. Community contributions continued past the release of the exhibit, making this a true living resource for historians and the general public alike.

“THIS HAS BEEN VERY SIMILAR TO AN INTERNSHIP FOR ME AND HAS OPENED UP A WORLD OF DIGITAL HISTORY THAT I PLAN TO KEEP EXPLORING.”

BA in History (‘22)

KAMP KIT

Kamp Kit: A History of Outdoor Gear, an exhibit exploring the history of outdoor recreation gear, was on display in the Merrill-Cazier Library atrium fall semester. The exhibit, curated by Manuscript Curator Clint Pumphrey and Outdoor Program Design & Development Program Coordinator Chase Anderson (College of Agriculture), traced the evolution of the outdoor industry from the Civil War and the rise of “weekend warriors” to modern day production.

Kamp Kit was inspired by Pumphrey and Anderson’s work on the Outdoor Recreation Archive, an internationally-recognized collection of documents, catalogs and magazines related to those topics housed in the Library’s Special Collections & Archives. The Instagram account for Outdoor Recreation Archive has over 20,000 followers.

A traveling version of Kamp Kit was recently displayed at the Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City. The Outdoor Retailer is the largest tradeshow for the outdoor product industry in North America.

Detail from a 1960 Montgomery Ward catalog featured in the Library 2022 exhibit Kamp Kit: A History of Outdoor Gear

IN 2021-22, THE LIBRARIES INSTALLED SEVEN EXHIBITIONS CURATED BY LIBRARY FACULTY AND STAFF, USU FACULTY, AND RESEARCHERS WHO USED OUR COLLECTIONS

DECISIONS DOWNSTREAM

Curated by USU Watershed Scientist Associate Professor Sarah Null, Decisions Downstream tells the story of Utah’s fragmented rivers through an engaging blend of science and art.

The exhibit illustrates the lasting effect of water resource development on fish habitats, and includes original paintings by Chris Peterson, and photography by Carsten Meier—both Utah-based artists. Decisions Downstream opened at the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City before traveling to the Merrill-Cazier Library in Fall 2021

RETURNING HOME

Returning Home: The Art and Poetry of Intermountain Indian School, 1951-1984 was installed Spring 2022 at the Library. The exhibit displayed works created by Native American students during their time at Intermountain Indian School in Brigham City.

Curator Farina King says Returning Home presents the ability of Indigenous youth to maintain their culture within spaces designed to separate Native children from their homes. King drew on materials in USU’s Special Collections for the exhibit.

DISASTERS: THE STORIES

WE SHARE

Disasters: The Stories We Share—a collaborative touring exhibit that explores how communities come to terms with catastrophic events—came to the Library in Fall 2022 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of a 5.7 magnitude earthquake that shook Cache Valley in 1962.

Co-curated by USU Librarian Jen Kirk, the exhibition was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and also traveled to North Dakota and Montana.

SCHOLARLY PRODUCTS

Library faculty and staff conduct, present, and publish research in the field of library and information science. Library research is tied to the practical application of our profession and improves the services we offer.

PUBLICATIONS

Core Metadata Standards Committee, co-chaired by Liz Woolcott. Metadata Schema Assessment Framework. Chicago: American Library Association, Core Division, 2022.

Davis, Erin, and Shannon Smith. “OER Through Information Literacy & Instructional Designer Partnerships.” In OER & Affordability Roadshow Curriculum, edited by Heather Blicher, Kathy Essmiller, Michelle Reed, and Ariana Santiago. Chicago: Association of College & Research Libraries, 2021.

Daybell, Paul, Andrea Payant, Liz Woolcott, Becky Skeen, Anna-Maria Arnljots, and Kurt Meyer. “A Tale of Two Levels: Analyzing User Engagement in EAD Levels.” Journal of Archival Organization 19, no. 1-2 (2022): 101-129.

Hedrich, Anne, Andrea Payant, Woolcott Liz, Steven Petersen, Ryan Howell, and Paul C. Rogers. “Turning Over a New Leaf: The Aspen Spatial Bibliography Enhances Research.” Library Hi Tech News 38, no. 4 (2021): 1-6.

Leon, Lars, and Carol Kochan. “Collective and Creative Learning to Enhance Interlibrary Loan.” Journal of Library Resource Sharing 30, no. 3-5 (2022): 84-94.

Nelson, Rebecca, and Becky Thoms. “The Practical and the Aspirational: Managing the Student Employee Experience in Library Publishing Efforts.” Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication 9, no. 1 (2021): 1-20.

Strand, Katie, Rachel Wishkoski, Alex Sundt, and Deanna Allred. “A Tale of Five Case Studies: Reflections on Piloting a Case-Based, Problem-Based Learning Curriculum in English Composition.” In Once Upon a Time in the Academic Library: Storytelling Skills for Librarians, edited by Maria R. Barefoot, Sara Parme, and Elin Woods, 27-44. Chicago: Association of College & Research Libraries, 2022.

Wishkoski, Rachel, Diana J. Meter, Sarah Tulane, Michael Q. King, Kevin Butler, and Laura A. Woodland. “Student Attitudes Toward Research in an Undergraduate Social Science Research Methods Course.” Higher Education Pedagogies 7, no. 1 (2022): 20-36.

Wishkoski, Rachel, Katie Strand, Alex Sundt, Deanna Allred, and Diana J. Meter. “Case Studies in The Classroom: Assessing A Pilot Information Literacy Curriculum for English Composition.” Reference Services Review 49, no. 2 (2021): 176-193.

Kenfield, Ayla Stein, Liz Woolcott, Santi Thompson, Elizabeth Joan Kelly, Ali Shiri, Caroline Muglia, Kinza Masood, Joyce Chapman, Derrick Jefferson, and Myrna E. Morales. “Toward A Definition of Digital Object Reuse.” Digital Library Perspectives 38, no. 3 (2022): 378-394.

Thurston, Travis N., Kacy Lundstrom, and Christopher González, editors. Resilient Pedagogy: Practical Teaching Strategies to Overcome Distance, Disruption, and Distraction. Logan: Utah State University, 2021.

PRESENTATIONS

Arnljots, Anna-Maria, Paul Daybell, Andrea Payant, Becky Skeen, and Liz Woolcott. “Avoiding a Level of Discontent in Finding Aids: An Analysis of User Engagement Across EAD Levels.” Presentation at the Utah Library Association Annual Conference, Layton, UT, May 20, 2022.

Davis, Dan. “My Strange Journey: Or How I learned to Quit Worrying and Love My Academic Self.” Utah State University Inaugural Lecture, Logan, UT, October 17, 2021.

Daybell, Paul, Quinn Gerber, Heather Housley, Kelly Rovegno, Becky Skeen, and Liz Woolcott. “University Treasure – Collections of Secrets: How Utah State University Libraries Modernized the University Archives.” Presentation at the Utah Library Association Conference, Layton UT, May 19, 2022.

Daybell, Paul, Andrea Payant, and Liz Woolcott. “On Your MARC, Get Set, Code!” Webinar presentation for the American Library Association Core Forum, Virtual, March 23, 2022.

Finch, Erica, Jason Folkman, Nick Gittins, Robert Heaton, Alex Sundt, and Stephanie Western. “None of Our Business: Examining the Economics and Business Dynamics of the Library and Information Industry.” Presentation at the Utah Library Association Conference, Layton UT, May 20, 2022.

Finch, Erica. “Research Impact Fluxkit: A Playful Exploration of Research Assessment.” Presentation at the LACUNY Institute, Virtual, May 13, 2022.

Flierl, Michael, Clarence Maybee, Amanda Folk, Rachel Wishkoski, and Craig Gibson. “Theoretical Perspectives for Collaboration with Disciplinary Faculty.” Panel presentation at the European Conference on Information Literacy, Virtual, September 21, 2021.

Gosnell, Jason, Chris Blaker, Lynette Shultz, Erica Finch, Monika Kirloskar-Steinbach, and Alfredo MacLaughlin. “Born-Digital Journals.” Panel presentation at the Association of University Presses Conference, Washington, D.C., June 20, 2022.

Harris, Michael W. “Big Ideas, Individual Effort: Graduate Student Writing Retreats as Accelerator for Dissertation Completion.” Webinar presentation for Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students, Virtual, February 24, 2022.

Kirk, Jennifer P., and Helen Smith. “Unreported Documents: Finding and Saving Government Grey Literature.” Presentation at the Agriculture Network Information Collaborative Virtual Annual Meeting, Virtual, May 6, 2022.

Lundstrom, Kacy and Britt Fagerheim. “To Be or Not to Be: A Formalized Systematic Review Service.” Presentation at the Evidence Synthesis Symposium, Virtual, May 20, 2022.

Luxenburger, Isis, Molly Cannon, Dan Davis, and Victoria Sanders. “Photo, Film, and Game: Assessing the Visual Storytelling of Railroads in Indian County.” Presentation at the Railroads in Native America Gathering, Ogden, UT, May 21, 2022.

Nelson, Rebecca and Becky Thoms. “Why Do Students Embargo Their ETDs?” Presentation at the United States Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Association, Virtual, September 22, 2021.

Payant, Andrea, Becky Skeen, and Liz Woolcott. “Just Keep Cataloging: How One Cataloging Unit Changed Their Workflows to Fit the Pandemic Remote, Hybrid, and In-Library Work.” Presentation at the American Library Association Core Interest Group Week, Virtual, July 29, 2021.

Pradell, Hay, Steph Crowell, River Johnson, Oluwadamilola Opayemi, and Elizabeth Grace Wong. “Pride in the Field.” Panel presentation for Utah State University’s Intersections on Inclusion: Critical Conversations About the Academy, Virtual, February 15, 2022.

Pumphrey, Clint. “Corporate Archives Spotlight.” Chaired panel discussion at the Outdoor History Summit, Virtual, September 15, 2021.

Pumphrey, Darcy. “Digital Project Planning: Advanced Level Digitization Training for Utah Institutions that Care for Historical Records.” Presentation for the Utah State Historical Records Advisory Board, Virtual, February 15, 2022.

Pumphrey, Darcy. “Preservation of Outdated Media.” Presentation for the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, Virtual, June 16, 2022.

Sare, Laura, Jennifer P. Kirk, and Sinai Wood. “Technical Report Archive & Image Library at 15.” Presentation at the 2021 Federal Depository Library Conference, Virtual, October 18, 2021.

Sinclair, Mark, Jason Folkman, and Maria Hatfield. “Justin-Time Document Delivery: Opening Doors to Content with Lean Library and Research Solutions.” Webinar presentation for Research Solutions, Virtual, April 12, 2022.

Fullmer, Niki. “You Feel Special When You Get a Library Card: Replicating Latinx Students’ Public Library Feelings in Academic Library Spaces.” Presentation at the Utah Library Association Conference, Layton UT, May 19, 2022.

Stringfellow, Will, Aimee C. Quinn, and Jennifer P. Kirk “Listening to our Youth and Sharing Federal Information: Connecting Students with Government Information.” Presentation at the 2021 Federal Depository Library Conference, Virtual, October 19, 2021.

Thoms, Becky, Alexa Sand, and Lisandra Estevez. “CUREatorial Projects and Digital Platforms: Accessibility and Inclusivity.” Presentation at the ConnectUR Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., June 28, 2022.

Wallace, W. Shane, Jennifer P. Kirk, and Mallory Bateman. “The State of Federal Government Information in Utah.” Presentation at the Utah Library Association Conference, Layton UT, May 20, 2022.

GRANTS

Woolcott, Liz (Co-Investigator). Digital Content Reuse Assessment Framework Toolkit (D-CRAFT). Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership for Libraries Grant ($249,998), 2019-2023.

Caro, Susanne, Ben Chiewphasa, and Jennifer P. Kirk. Sharing Stories of Community Resilience to Disasters: Designing a New Model for Collaborative Traveling Exhibits. National Endowment for the Humanities Public Exhibition Planning Award ($16,421), 2021-2024.

EXHIBITS

Caro, Susanne, Ben Chiewphasa, and Jennifer P. Kirk Disasters: The Stories We Share. North Dakota State University Libraries, Fargo, ND, April-July, 2022.

Pumphrey, Clint and Chase Anderson. Kamp Kit: A History of Outdoor Gear. Utah State University Libraries, Logan, UT, September, 2022

BUILDING PROSPEROUS LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITIES BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN

The University Libraries support our local communities and contribute to the betterment of the world around us.

HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE CAMPUSES

USU Libraries hosted local high school teachers in late July to discuss how to ease the transition from high school to USU for incoming students. Thirtythree high school educators attended the conference from all five high schools in Cache Valley.

The half-day conference, conceived by librarians Katie Strand and Jennifer Kirk, focused on three areas: information literacy, primary sources, and

digital resources. Teachers were able to attend three sessions with topics such as building students’ confidence as scholars, exploring government information as primary sources, and accessing open educational resources.

The goal of the program was to form connections with local secondary educators and find opportunities to align our work.

Local educators attending the Bridging the Gap Conference participated in a wide variety of panels, presentations, and discussion groups.

EARLY START FIELD TRIPS

Local fourth grade students from Cache Valley visit USU as part of an organized field trip program. The students stop at the Merrill-Cazier Library, the Geology Museum, the Anthropology Museum, and the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art.

Last fall in the Library, Outreach Librarian Katie Luder had students participate in a hands-on activity. Students explored Utah’s Indigenous history by learning about the Navajo Nation and the Navajo Code Talker’s role in World War II. Students worked in teams to decode a secret message.

These field trips are a wonderful opportunity for local elementary students to become comfortable in an academic library from a young age and to learn about Utah’s rich history.

Katie Luder

Katie Luder joined the USU Libraries in August 2022 as our first dedicated Outreach Librarian. From leading tours during Parent and Family weekend to organizing the Student Library Advisory Board or meeting with Aggie First Scholars to provide support for first generation college students, Luder’s efforts communicate that there is a place for every student at USU.

Library outreach is a core pillar of our mission. By creatively engaging directly with the public, we better understand our users, actively promote our collections and services, and ensure that everyone feels welcome to use our spaces. Events that include the public help us show that our library supports everyone.

Monique Davila

USU Libraries Graduate Student Fellow Monique Davila hosted a personal archiving workshop after she saw an opportunity to increase diversity in the archival repositories housed in USU Special Collections & Archives.

The workshop taught attendees how to preserve photos, journals, letters, oral histories, digital files, and other materials from their own families. Davila’s hope is that these skills will encourage minoritized groups to collect and reclaim their history. In summer 2022, Davila secured a position at the Utah Division of State History as a Community Engagement Coordinator.

Anne Hedrich

Associate Librarian Emerita Anne Hedrich traveled to Uzbekistan as a Fulbright Scholar from July to December 2021. There she served as a reference and instruction librarian at Samarkand State University in the city of Samarkand. She also presented on academic library practice to faculty and students at Tashkent University of Information Technologies in the capital city of Tashkent.

Hedrich exchanged information with Uzbek librarians about library systems and practice in both countries and hopes to extend the conversation started with her visit by bringing librarians from Uzbekistan to Utah State University. She notes that seeing one’s profession as practiced in another culture is an eye-opening experience that provides invigorating reflection on purpose, values, and methods.

MA in History (‘22)

A MARVELOUS WORK: READING MORMONISM IN WEST AFRICA

In the 26th annual Arrington Mormon History Lecture, Dr. Laurie Maffly-Kipp discussed grassroots Mormonism movements in West Africa. MafflyKipp discussed the impacts of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints texts arriving in West Africa two decades before official missionary work began in the region.

FROM UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY TO UTAH STATE PRISON

The Spring 2022 Friends of Merrill-Cazier Library Lecture delved into the rise and fall of Mark Hofmann. Historian Richard Turley, who was featured in the Netflix series Murder Among the Mormons, discussed Hofmann’s forged key Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saint documents, the 1985 bombings committed by Hofmann, and the legacy of both.

ANTICIPATORY INTELLIGENCE AND 21ST CENTURY THREATS

The Fall 2022 Friends of Merrill-Cazier Library Lecture focused on the new, groundbreaking Center for Anticipatory Intelligence (CAI) housed in the USU Political Science Department. Dr. Jeannie Johnson introduced the concept of Anticipatory Intelligence and the 21st century “threatscape” that requires a multidomain approach to understanding potential national security risks.

CULTIVATING USU COMMUNITY AND CULTURE

PAWS AND BREATHE

The Library hosts monthly visits from therapy dogs in partnership with Therapy Animals of Utah. Rachel Lawyer, Library Instruction Assistant, coordinates this program. Students spend time with dogs like Joey, a bubbly golden retriever, Blue, an easy-going border collie, and Miss Sophie, a playful aussiedoodle.

The University Libraries contribute to a welcoming and inclusive campus culture that creates lifelong learners and a strong, thriving community.

These dogs also work in hospitals, schools, and courts to bring stress-relief to all who visit them These therapy dogs go through a rigorous process to become certified, which allows students to comfortably gather around, share the love, and feel relaxed on campus.

CONNECTING WITH FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

Seventy percent of our Logan Campus first-year students take Connections, a two-credit academic class designed to ease the transition to college. The library’s integration with this program has resulted in thousands of first-year USU students discovering valuable library resources that can save them time, money, and stress during their time at USU.

This fall, the Merrill-Cazier Library welcomed approximately 1,500 first-year Connections students to the inaugural Library After Hours event. Event activities included laser tag, video games, virtual reality, information booths, pizza, custom dirty sodas, breakout boxes, raffle prizes, and more.

First-year Experience Librarian Katie Strand organized the event after learning that statistics show students who engage with libraries in the first year of college are more likely to take advantage of library resources throughout their education.

NEARLY 1,500 FIRST YEAR STUDENTS ATTENDED THE LIBRARY’S INAUGURAL AFTER HOURS EVENT

The two-hour event was a roaring success. In a postevent survey, 96% of respondents said they would recommend this event to future Connections students and 95% said they would be comfortable returning to the Library during the school year.

The University Libraries embrace USU’s Principles of Community. In putting these principles into practice, we commit to actively developing a culture that supports diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

OUR VALUES

• We believe supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility enhances library services for all.

• We believe positive change requires vulnerability, continual learning, and the ongoing improvement of our services and policies.

• We believe in holding ourselves accountable for positive change.

OUR COMMITMENTS

• We will work to ensure library resources and services are accessible and representative.

• We will cultivate safe and welcoming library spaces.

• We will foster recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty and staff.

VALUES IN ACTION FOR

2021-22:

• Identified Braille materials in the Libraries’ collections and ensured they were easily findable in our catalog.

• Adjusted the Circulation Desk to better serve patrons in wheelchairs.

• Added new multicultural primary source databases including JSTOR’s Independent Voices (Open Access archive of periodicals from feminists, Black Power Advocates, LGBT activists, Native Americans, and other alternatives to the mainstream press) and Civil Rights in America: From Reconstruction to the Great Society.

• Identified videos in our institutional repository that did not have transcriptions and provided captioning for accessibility.

• Developed a policy on the handling of harmful content in library collections and their descriptions.

• Revised the library curriculum for the general education course on Intermediate Writing (English 2010) to incorporate an emphasis on inclusive pedagogies.

GRADUATE SURVEY

The University Libraries actively seek feedback on resources, services, and spaces to support a culture of accountability and continual improvement. User assessment is a critical activity we employ to help us articulate and address ever-changing user needs.

In 2022, the Libraries fielded the Ithaka S+R Graduate Student Survey in collaboration with the School of Graduate Studies. The survey sought graduate student perspectives on a range of topics, including how they use, perceive, and envision the University Libraries’ resources and spaces. Approximately 365 responses helped improve services, programs, collections, spaces, and other resources. Being a central hub on the Logan campus, the Library is uniquely situated to support student well-being. This survey also captured key insights about students’ housing and food insecurity.

A widespread theme echoed by many respondents was that the graduate student population is financially strained. USU’s Student Nutrition Access Center on the Logan campus has helped alleviate some of these food insecurities—particularly during the height of covid-19. However, while SNAC was praised as being helpful, financial insecurities are graduate students’ biggest worries, and finding affordable housing is one of the largest factors in these worries. Please consider supporting the Student Emergency Hardship Fund or SNAC.

38% HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

27.5% EXPERIENCED FOOD INSECURITY

31% OF RESPONDENTS REPORTED HAVING DIFFICULTY PAYING FOR THEIR COURSES

10 RESPONDENTS REPORTED EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS SINCE STARTING GRADUATE SCHOOL AT USU

BEING A CENTRAL HUB ON THE LOGAN CAMPUS, THE LIBRARY IS UNIQUELY SITUATED TO SUPPORT STUDENT WELL-BEING

University Libraries

3000 Old Main Hill

Logan, UT 84322-3000

As a land-grant institution, Utah State University campuses and centers reside and operate on the territories of the eight tribes of Utah, who have been living, working, and residing on this land from time immemorial.

These tribes are the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Indians, Navajo Nation, Ute Indian Tribe, Northwestern Band of Shoshone, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, San Juan Southern Paiute, Skull Valley Band of Goshute, and White Mesa Band of the Ute Mountain Ute.

We acknowledge these lands carry the stories of these Nations and their struggles for survival and identity. We recognize Elders past and present as peoples who have cared for, and continue to care for, the land.

In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous self-governance history, experiences, and resiliency of the Native people who are still here today.